Chandigarh (Punjab) [India]: Voting for the Punjab gram panchayat elections is currently underway, with polling taking place from 8 am to 4 pm.
Voters are casting their ballots through ballot boxes to elect ‘sarpanch’ and ‘panch’ for their respective villages. According to sources, citizens in Mohali and Ludhiana have actively participated by visiting the polling centres. The process has been peaceful so far, and results are expected after voting concludes.
Earlier on Monday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed over 1,000 petitions seeking the cancellation of the upcoming panchayat elections. The court also lifted the ban on 206 panchayats, allowing the elections to proceed as scheduled on October 15 without any legal obstacles.
The High Court clarified that only the Election Commission has the authority to intervene in the electoral process. Additionally, the court mandated that the elections be documented through videography and recording.
However, attorneys representing the petitioners indicated plans to challenge the court’s decision in the Supreme Court, signalling ongoing legal contention surrounding the elections. The elections are set to take place for 13,237 ‘Sarpanches’ and 83,437 ‘Panches’.
Advocate Hakam Singh, speaking to ANI, said, “Nearly 1,000 writ petitions were filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the Panchayat elections. 250 writ petitions were also filed and had been segregated on 11 grounds. All petitions, except the one on the grounds of videography, have been dismissed by the HC. The stay on the 250 writ petitions has also been vacated. We will approach the SC tomorrow.”
The Punjab High Court had earlier refused to stay the Panchayat elections across the state. However, the court did stay the election process in select villages where complaints had been registered regarding complications faced by candidates in filing their nominations.
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and Congress leader, Partap Singh Bajwa, criticized the Aam Aadmi Party for the complications faced by candidates in filing nominations. He accused government officials of negligence, leading to uncertainty among candidates regarding reservations and other nomination-related issues in various panchayat segments.
Speaking to media, Bajwa said, “On the floor of the House, the Chief Minister of Punjab assured that the Panchayat elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner. We informed the State Election Commissioner that for the past two days, no Panchayat Secretary, BDPO, or Tehsildar have been present in their respective offices.”